The Syrian authorities have committed crimes against civilians, says the UN secretary general, but militarisation of the opposition is no solution.

Moody's cuts Greece's credit rating again to "C", the lowest level on its scale, warning of default despite a recent debt write-off deal.

The US authorities say they have smashed several major smuggling rings bringing fake goods to the US from China, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Colombia's chief prosecutor Viviane Morales stands down after a court rules her election invalid, but defends her role in tackling corruption cases.

Americans' spending on their pets is greater than ever before, exceeding $50bn in 2011, according to a new report.

Political scientist James Wilson, whose "Broken Windows" theory on policing changed crime-fighting in major US cities, dies at the age of 80.

BP says it has reached a $7.8bn (£4.9bn) deal with the largest group of plaintiffs suing the company over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.

Residents of the Chinese village of Wukan are holding council elections, three months after high-profile protests forced local leaders out.